Hailey and Brad Pitt

Are you wondering what Hailey and Brad Pitt have in common?

In 2004 Brad played Achilles in the movie Troy.

According to Greek mythology Achilles was the son of Thetis and Peleus, the bravest hero in the Trojan war. When Achilles was born, his mother, Thetis, tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx. As she immersed him, she held him by one heel and forgot to dip him a second time so the heel she held could get wet too. Therefore, the place where she held him remained untouched by the magic water of the Styx and that part stayed mortal or vulnerable. The story is that he was killed in the siege of Troy by Paris, who shot an an arrow into his heel. Thus an "Achilles' heel" has come to be a term for a person's principal weakness.

Now on to Hailey:

Last summer I noticed that Hailey was running on her tiptoes during her soccer game. She looked silly. I told her to run "normal" and she said she couldn't. As the weeks passed I noticed that she ALWAYS walked on her toes, no matter how bad my nagging got. When we went in for her annual check-up I mentioned it to the doctor. He referred us to an Orthopedic Specialist at Primary's. Low and behold, Hailey's Achilles tendons are short and she physically can't put her heels down (or at least it hurts when she does).

So . . . last week Hailey had surgery and got BOTH Achilles tendons clipped. She is in casts for one month and then will be in walking boots for another month. Hopefully, with any luck, by April she will be healed and ready for summer. She has been brave and pretty good with all this so far (however, it has only been a week). She had a TON of support from neighbors and family. It is good to feel the love. I am counting down the weeks until the casts come off. Most of the time she is a trooper, but every now and then we have some melt down moments. Casts are no fun at all . . . for anyone!!

I haven't had the heart to tell her where the term Achilles comes from . . . "some hot, tough guy that ultimately died by getting an arrow in his tendon." I contemplated telling her the story while we waited for her surgery, but ultimately decided against it.

Okay, so really, Hailey and Brad have nothing in common (thank heavens) I just wanted you to read my post. ;)

Above: Hailey coming out of surgery.

Below: Hailey on the couch, look at all those signatures on her casts.